hose conditions. They tell us that the
income tax ought not to be brought in here; that it is a new idea. They
criticize us for the criticism of the Supreme Court of the United
States. My friends, we have not criticized; we have simply called
attention to what you already know. If you want criticisms, read the
dissenting opinions of the court. There you will find criticisms. They
say that we have passed an unconstitutional law; we deny it. The income
tax law was not unconstitutional when it was passed; it was not
unconstitutional when it went before the Supreme Court for the first
time; it did not become unconstitutional until one of the judges
changed his mind, and we cannot be expected to know when a judge will
change his mind. The income tax is just. It simply intends to put the
burden of government justly upon the backs of the people. I am in favor
of an income tax. When I find a man who is not willing to bear his
share of the burdens of the government which protects him, I find a man
who is unworthy to enjoy the blessings of a government like ours.

They say that we are opposing national bank currency; it is true. If
you will read what Thomas Benton said, you will find he said that, in
searching history, he could find but one parallel to Andrew Jackson;
that was Cicero, who destroyed the conspiracy of Cataline and saved
Rome. Benton said that Cicero only did for Rome what Jackson did for us
when he destroyed the bank conspiracy and saved America. We say in our
platform that we believe that the right to coin and issue money is a
function of government. We believe it. We believe that it is a part of
sovereignty, and can no more with safety be delegated to private
individuals than we could afford to delegate to private individuals the
power to make penal statutes or levy taxes. Mr. Jefferson, who was once
regarded as good Democratic authority, seems to have differed in
opinion from the gentleman who has addressed us on the part of the
minority. Those who are opposed to this proposition tell us that the
issue of paper money is a function of the bank, and that the Government
ought to go out of the banking business. I stand with Jefferson rather
than with them, and tell them, as he did, that the banks ought to go
out of the governing business.

They complain about the plank which declares against life tenure in
office. They have tried to strain it to mean that which is does not
mean. What we oppose by that plank is the